Longterm gallery idea fast forwards to N-O-W


How to Go

What: Dutoit Gallery Inaugural Members Exhibit

Where: Front Street Warehouse, 1001 E. Second St., Bldg. 100, B-C door, 3rd floor

When: Continues through April 30

Hours: Saturday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Sunday, 1-5 p.m.

Info: Dutoit Gallery, www.facebook.com/dutoitgallery/?fref=nf

You can pronounce it Do-toyt, or DO-TO-IT, or as the French would say. .. Du-twa. It doesn’t matter, as long as you check out Dutoit, a new gallery at Front Street east of downtown. Kelsey Projects founder Colleen Kelsey prefers the second pronunciation, and it fits the timing of the opening.

She and artist friend Glen Cebulash starting talking about opening a new gallery in Dayton. They both saw the project getting off the ground in a couple of years. But after only a couple of months of meetings, texts, and phone calls, they now have 28 member artists and a brand new 1,200 square-foot gallery space for their cooperative venture.

“The amazing thing is, it is a very diverse group. Artists from each university, artists that live and work in the community, and artists who teach at Stivers,” said Kelsey. “This is a sort of a revival of the Linked In Gallery in the Oregon District a few years back. This gallery is self-sustaining, and we have exhibits scheduled through April of 2018.”

And what will art lovers find at the Inaugural Members Exhibit among the photographs, paintings, and sculptures? An interesting juxtaposition of mediums by Rebecca Sargent. One of the untitled Fractured Interiors is a jumble of geometric forms presented in acrylic and extra-fine Flashe on canvas. Immediately to the right is the same space represented as a diorama, a small scene set in a cardboard box.

There are also small side-by-side works by Francis Schanberger and his wife, Bridgette Bogle. Schanberger is presenting “Dried Black Iris #1,” a silver gelatin print with great shadowing effects. Bogle is showing a colored pencil collage, “Greener Grass.” The interesting aspect of this work is that her paper fence …with more appealing grass on the other side…is actually framed inside a certificate/graduation border.

Issa Randall is presenting a self-portrait with a time delay photo as he was wrapped in foil and nearly suffocating. Kelsey is showing two ink and watercolor works: “Sistas” and “Feast.”

“It’s in regard to psychology and space. Traditionally, bigger was better. But historically women worked small with stitching or drawing materials in their laps,” said Kelsey, who studied art in Coriano, Italy in the fall of ’99. “I purposely make the work small; it is a scale that is natural for me.”

Other Dutoit members featuring works in the exhibit: Erin Holscher Almazan, Julie Anderson, Nicholaus Arnold, Michele BonDurant, Stefan Chinov, Landon Crowell, John Dickinson, Gretchen Durst Jacobs, Hansoo Ha, Glenna Jennings, Ashley Jude Jonas, Ann B. Kim, Jean Koeller, Suki Kwon, James Luckett, David Leach, Jeremy Long, Tracy Longley-Cook, Patrick Mauk, Mychaelyn Michalec, Issa Randall, Leah Stahl, and Emily Trick.

Next up at Dutoit Gallery: Jean Koeller, landscapes and newer large-scale abstracts in May, and Erin Holscher Almazan in June.

Contact contributing writer Pamela Dillon at pamdillon@woh.rr.com.

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